Motion-picture film handling apparatus



Nov. 10, 1953 G. A. DEL VALLE ETAL 2,658,954

MOTION-PICTURE FILM HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 2e, 1951 2Sheeis-Sheet 2 I I a INVENTORS ann/wm ,4. del VI/g Ai'ToRNEY PatentedNov. 10, 1953 MOTION-PICTURE -FILM HANDLING APPARATUS Guillermo A. delValle, Merchantville, and Alan S. Jones, Palmyra, N. J., assgnors toRadio vCorporation of America, a corporation of Dela- Ware ApplicationJune 26, 1951, Serial No. 233,524 Y 7 Claims. (Cl. 179-1002) Thisinvention relates to motion picture apparatus, and more particularly toa signal erasing means for motion picture iilms bearing a magnetic soundtrack.

In motion picture apparatus of the type adapted for use with a iilmbearing a magnetic sound track, it has been found desirable to providemeans for erasing or obliterating signals recorded on such sound tracks.However, when means for erasing a record are incorporated in a machineof this type, precautionary measures must be followed to prevent, or atleast reduce,

l the probability of acidental or inadvertent erause with film bearing amagnetic sound track..

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved mountingmeans for magnetic heads adapted for use with magnetic records.

In accomplishing these and other objects there has been provided, inaccordance with the present invention, a magnetic head assembly mountedadjacent to a lever which controls the direction of travel of the lm.The head is pivotally mounted to swing in a path which intersects thepath of movement of the lever. Biasing means are provided for normallyholding the head at one end of its path in a non-operate position, catchmeans being provided to hold'it at the other end of its path in operateposition. When the lever is in a position to cause theA iilm to berewound onto a supply reel after having erased and a new signal recordedthereon, be-

fore the lm can be rewound onto its storage reel, the head must bemovedto its non-operate position.

A better understanding of this invention may be had from the followingdetailed description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings inlwhich: y r

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of a motion picture apparatus inaccordance with the present invention and showing the head in itsopera-te or film engaging position,

Figure 2 is a viewY similar to that of Figure 1 but showing the head inits non-operate position, out of position to engage the film,

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, partly in cross section, taken along theline 3--3 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the appendedarrows, and

Figure 4 is a view, partly in cross section, taken along the line 4-4 ofFigure 3 and looking in the direction of the appended arrows.

For purposes of illustration, the invention will. be described asrelating to a motion picture pro-- jector.

Referring, now, to the drawings in more par ticularity, there is shownin Figures 1 and 2- a.v mounting panel 2 which may be a portion of the.main body of the motion picture apparatus. A` lm driving sprocket 4 iscarried by the panel.. Adjacent to the sprocket 4, *there is mounted afilm guide shoe 6. An extension or arm 8 is: secured to the edge of thepanel. This arm.V carries a supply or. storage reel (notvshown)v for alm I0. In order to control the direction. in which the film is totravel, that is, either forward or rewind there is provided a lever |21which is connected tothe driving mechanism ofi the apparatus to effectthe direction reversal. It; should be remembered that,.during the rewindcycle, Athe iilm travels directly between the'two; reels. In Figure 1,this lever is shown in its for-1 ward position. vIn Figure 2 the forwardposition is shown in dotted line while the solid lines show the lever inits rewind position.

Adjacent to the lever I2 there is mounted an erase head assembly. Thisassembly includes a mounting bracket I4, apair of film guide rollers I6and I8, a pivoted arm 20, and an erase head 22. The arm 20 carrying theerase head 22 pivots, for convenienca'about the shaft 24 about which theguide roller I6 rotates. The arm. 20 and the head' k22 are normallybiased into the position shown inv Figure 2 by a spring 26. In order tohold the head assembly in its .operate position (Fig. l) a catch meansis provided. At a pointon the arm 20 between the head and the pivotpointk there is a plunger 28 which is carried by the arm. (See Fig. 3.)One end of the plunger extends through an arcuate slot 30 in themounting bracket I4. The slot 30 has a recess 32 at one end thereofitheyend which corresponds to the operate position` of thek head) onthe rearsideof the, bracket.v

@Cese adapted. t9, receive. awasher-iike convenience, may terminate in apush button, is

pressed. This forces the washer-like member 34 out of the recess 32,allowing theV biasing spir 26 to move the head to the non-operate postion. Y. Y

The erasing head 22 is supported in a lhmsing. Y

38 secured to the free end of the pivoted arm 2o. In order to assure agood magnetic contact between the sound track on the film I and theerase head 22, a pressure pad disposed t rr't may be run again, it mustbe rewound onto a storage reel to restore the proper order of the film.It is customary to rewind the film immediately after it has been run.However, in accordance with thev present inventiomtlre lever l2, whicheonitrols the direction oftravl of the nlm, cannot be moved to itsrewind position until the erase head has been moved out of the way toits f nonoperate position. Therefore, the

o'f leaving the head in its operate positior, through inadvertence, iseliminated.

, rBhe twoguiderollers I6 and i8 are provided to assure that the willfollow a path which may `beY engaged by the erase head irrespective ofthe amount of lm viiithe storage reel. This feature is illustratedFigure 1 wherein the solid line a light pressure on the back of the lm,pressiig Y the magnetic sound tracl` against the core of the erase head.y This pad 40 may be made of any material whiehjvill not `scratch thefilm, vhas a low coemcient of friction, land Vresists wear. A leafspring 42 is secured, at one end, ,to the erase head housing. The otherend of the spring 42 -supports the pressure .pad 49: The :pressure .pad-is loosely coupled to the supporting -leafgspring so thatA the pad mayvproperly Yalign itself with respect to the curved surface of the erasehead.

.Since the, erase head 22 and the lever I-2 move in intersecting,mutually interfering paths (to be more fully `explained hereinafter) theleaf spring 42 may be damaged by `'contact with the lever. Therefore, arigid metal guard 44 (shown in dotted line in Figure 19V :is secured tothe housing 38 and positioned to protect the' spring.

When one desires to operate the motion- .pieture apparatus incorporatingthe erase head assembly, the nlm Hl is threaded into the machine in theusual Ina-nner with the' exception that the lm is inserted between thetwo 'guide rollers IE and I8. VAssun'iin'g that the erasel head is inits non-operate position as shown in Figure 2 'dur-f in'g the time theis being threaded into the' machine, in order to effect the erasure of asignal on the lm, the head must be manually moved to' its operateposition againstr the .pres'sure of the biasing spring. A further safetyfeature appears at thispoint since4 the rllmV cannot engage the" erase:lhead until the edge' of theA film is inserted betweenthe erase headvandthe pressure pa'd- 40". Thus, two deliberate moves are required to.place the l-m in operating' contact with the erase head. However, itmust bev remembered that the path of` movement of theV head and the path'of rovement of the lever i2v are' intersecting paths, and that whentheV lever is in the position to cause" the filmto be rewoun'dk onto'the storage reci. the head cannot be' moved to' its`y operatepos'itionf. Therefore, a third condition is imposed, the lever must bein itsV forward position; A- fourth safety feature isincluded inv theelectrical cir i` cuitryY described and claimed: in a: copending'ap'#plication of GoodfandPutzrath; SerialI No. 224;: 294, led May-3;` 1951.and entitled ,Af Sound-Re`v cording and` Reproduoing Circuit forPictures. In`v accordance: wim-.that circuialthe' erase head is-onlyenergiaed whnlthefappartsisoneteiil to re'cdrd, and deenergiaed wherrtheapparatus iai-connected for rprodiicingthe signal on' the'- soundtrack;L n

After the has b'eerun through; the' ma* chine, assuming? that thevprevious`- signaly oir the" soundltrack waserasedandanew-"sgnalrecordedv `J`1iesehtationY 'of `the lm shows the path the `ffilm would followwhen the storage reel is nearly empty while the dotted linerepresentation shows thegfiim path when the reel fis-nearly full, A

While a yparticular form lof catch `means has been shown and describedwherein the catch is released manually, other types of -catohesco'uld beprovided whic-hstill fall wit-hin the scope 'of the present invention.lFor example, a claw or hook type catch could beprovided which, insteadof being released manually, could be released` by the initial movementof -th'e lever lf2, suitable -in-` terlock mechanism `being included toeffect the release.v This interlock mechanism may `include anappropriately shaped cam -xed to the shaft of the lever l2 whichenga-ges a cam fol-lower which, in turn, effects the release of thegcatch.

While the present invention has been described as relating to a mountingarrangement forman erase head, it should be apparent to those skilled inthe' art that to mount other types of heads in the manner set forthherein would fall within the scope of the ,present invention. Forexample, a recording head; a monitoring or playback head, or' a'.multipurpose head could be so mounted.

What is claimed is:

l. In a motion picture' apparatus of Athe type adapted for use with iilmbearing a magnetic sound track and having "a lever for `controlling thedirection of travel of said lm, `saidA lever .being movable between alforward and a rewind position a magnetic head' for `said sound track,Yand means for movably1 mounting sad head aid-- jacent to said lever,s'a-i'd head being movable from an operate yposition to a non=operateposi-` freni said operate positionv to said "non-"oph'A crate" position:

The; invention: Vser rca-h sia-iur aeteriza by the" aidition"y or'biasing meeneemt normally' biasing said head i'to its-saidfrom4 i. in a'motion picture apparatus of the type adapted for use witrlfiiimfbearing a; magnetic sound track and having a lever for controlling the"direction o'f* trai/'ei of' said said lever being movable oetwrijajfforwavrii, ne a rewindpostio'riarierase-nemici saidsoudtrack; means ufor movably mountingV said head, and means 'forpreventing unintentionalerasure of said sound track, said last mentioned means including saidlever, said head and said lever being positioned adjacent to each otherand adapted to be moved in mutually interfering paths whereby said levercannot be moved from said forward position to said rewind position untilsaid head has been removed from said operate position to saidnon-operate position.

5. In a motion picture apparatus of the type adapted for use with filmbearing a magnetic sound track and having a lever for controlling thedirection of travel of said lm, said lever being movable between aforward and a rewind position an erase head for said sound track, meansfor mounting said head adjacent to said lever, said mounting meansincluding a mounting bracket and an arm pivotally supported on saidbracket, said head being carried by said arm and being movable betweenan operate position and a non-operate position, said head and said leverbeing movable in intersecting, mutually interfering paths whereby saidlever cannot be moved from said "forward position to said rewindposition until said head has been removed from said operate position tosaid non-operate position.

6. In a motion picture apparatus of the type adapted for use with iilmbearing a magnetic sound track and having a lever for controlling thedirection of travel of said film, said lever being movable between aforward and a rewind position an erase head for said sound track, meansfor mounting said head adjacent to said lever, said mounting meansincluding a mounting bracket and an arm pivotally supported on saidbracket, said head being carried by said arm and being movable betweenan operate position and a non-operate position, spring biasing means fornormally biasing said head into its non-operate position, and releasablecatch means for holding said head in its operate position, said head andsaid lever being movable in intersecting, mutually interfering pathswhereby said lever cannot be moved from said forward position to saidrewind position until said head has been removed from said operateposition to said nonoperate position.

'7. In motion picture apparatus of the type adapted for use with nlmbearing a magnetic sound track and having a lever for controlling thedirection of travel of said lm, said lever being movable between aforward and a rewind position an erase head for said sound track, meansfor mounting said head adjacent to said lever, said mounting meansincluding a mounting bracket and an arm pivotally supported on saidbracket, said head being carried by said arm and being movable betweenan operate position and a non-operate position, releasable catch meansfor selectively holding said head in its operate position, and guidemeans mounted on said bracket for guiding said lm in a path to beengaged by said head when said head is in its operate position, saidhead and said lever being movable in intersecting, mutually interferingpaths whereby said lever cannot be moved from said forward position tosaid rewind position until said head has been removed from said operateposition to said non-operate position.

GUILLERMO A. DEL VALLE. ALAN S. JONES.

No references cited.

